Field Trips Destinations

  • Lower Mainland

    • Britannia Mine Museum

      Britannia Beach, BC

      http://www.britanniaminemuseum.ca/

      The BMM is our BC mining industry’s National Historic Site. It is comprised of many restored original buildings that were part of the underground copper mining operation called Britannia Mine. The Museum welcomes students of all ages who are learning about geology, mineral resources and the history of BC, and offers a variety of programs that support many science and socials topics at all grade levels.

      • Pacific Museum of Earth, UBC

        Vancouver, BC

        http://pme.ubc.ca/

        This museum in the Earth and Ocean Sciences department features exhibits of minerals, rocks and fossils, as well as workshops for students of all ages. It also houses the magical OmniGlobe, a spherical display on which can be projected images and animations pf planets, real time weather, ancient ice coverage, plate tectonics and many other things. Guided tours are provided by UBC students. Admission is free. Fees apply to workshops and to guided tours of the museum and Omniglobe.

        • Earth Sciences Lab, SFU

          Vancouver, BC

          http://www.sfu.ca/earth-sciences/outreach-engagement/k-12workshops.html

          Offering hands-on workshops for pre-K and K-12 students in their teaching lab with materials used by first-year undergraduates. Workshops are taught by Earth Sciences' Lecturers and assisted by graduate and undergraduate students.

          • Beaty Biodiversity Museum

            Vancouver, BC

            http://www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca/

            The Beaty Biodiversity Museum located on the campus of UBC is a natural history museum dedicated to life on Earth, present and past. It is a special place to support learning about evolution of life over geological time. Programs for elementary and secondary classes and for teachers are available, as are kits that can be borrowed.

            • H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

              Vancouver, BC

              http://www.spacecentre.ca

              This is a fantastic destination for students learning about Earth from the perspective of space. It offers unique learning experiences for students  to support space science and astronomy at all grade levels.

              • Let's Talk Science

                Vancouver, BC

                http://www.letstalkscience.ca

                Let's Talk Science is a nationwide organization that offers free outreach programs delivered by post-secondary student volunteers  who bring hands on science activities to the  classroom. Challenge programs for Grade 6-8 and campus visits are also offered. BC programs are currently offered through UBC, SFU and UVic.

                • Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre

                  North Vancouver, BC

                  http://www.dnv.org/ecology/

                  Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre offers ''Canyon Quest, a guided program for Grade 8-12 students that explores the geological make-up and history of Lynn Canyon.  The hike integrates the rock cycle, the geological history recorded in the canyon, and ongoing natural processes (e.g. erosion, sedimentation, uplift, etc).

                  • Maple Ridge Lapidary Club

                    Maple Ridge, BC

                    https://www.mapleridgelapidaryclub.com/kids-programs

                    The Maple Ridge Lapidary Club offers a variety of programs including tours and field trips both to schools and community groups. The club features an extensive collection of crystals, minerals and rocks.  We can also provide age appropriate, hands on projects as part of the experience.

  • Vancouver Island

    • Courtenay District Museum and Paleontology Centre, Courtenay

      Courtenay, BC

      http://www.courtenaymuseum.ca/

      This museum offers school groups year-round guided tours of the museum and the Puntledge River Elasmosaur (Late Cretaceous marine reptile) site to collect fossils.

      • Horne Lake Caves

        Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park, BC

        https://hornelake.com/school-groups/

        Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park is a hidden gem nestled in the Beaufort Range mountains of central Vancouver Island. This unique park offers students a fascinating 3D look at Vancouver Island and its geology, both above and below. Programs are designed as hands-on, experiential learning that supports school curriculum and gives students a great day outside. An excellent venue for exploring and learning about nature while creating deep connections to ourselves and our surroundings.

        • Dino Lab Inc.

          Saanich, BC

          https://www.dinolabinc.ca/

          At Dino Lab Inc. we're passionate about inspiring our younger generations to explore our past and the world beneath our feet. Who knows? You might have a budding paleontologist in your classroom. We're opening the doors to our workshop to give you a rare opportunity to see REAL dinosaurs up close, touch them with your own hands, and help us unbury them from the past.

          • Royal British Columbia Museum

            Victoria, BC

            https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/

            The Royal BC Museum’s palaeontology collection spans over 500 million years of life on Earth. Current collection strengths include Eocene plants and animals from ancient lakes across the Interior, marine invertebrates from the Nanaimo Group of Vancouver Island, and Ice Age mammals from southern Vancouver Island.

            • Let's Talk Science

              Victoria, BC

              http://www.letstalkscience.ca

              Let's Talk Science is a nationwide organization that offers free outreach programs delivered by post-secondary student volunteers who bring hands on science activities to the  classroom. Challenge programs for Grade 6-8 and campus visits are also offered. BC programs are currently offered through UBC, SFU and UVic.

              • Nanaimo District Museum, Nanaimo

                Nanaimo, BC

                http://www.nanaimomuseum.ca/

                Nanaimo was a coal mining hub for more than 100 years. This museum features an award-winning exhibit on the Coal Mine, a display and information on coal mining in and around Nanaimo that drove immigration, population growth and the industrial revolution.

                • Qualicum Beach Museum

                  Qualicum Beach, BC

                  https://qbmuseum.ca/natural-history/

                  Most people, when they think of fossils, picture skeletons of animals or leaves and wood from plants, all turned to stone. But geologists have a more complicated view, and you can dig into the subject here at the Qualicum Beach Museum. A primary draw to the Museum centres around our Paleontology Exhibit, a collection which was assembled and is curated by the internationally known fossil collector and researcher, Graham Beard, in conjunction with the Vancouver Island Paleontology Museum Society.

                  • Cumberland Museum

                    Cumberland, BC

                    https://cumberlandmuseum.ca/programs-events/

                    Step back in time to the thriving coal town of Cumberland in the early 1900s. Explore the hotels and bars where miners and loggers grabbed a beer and a bath after a hard day’s work digging for coal or felling timbers. Experience a day in the life of a coal miner in the Museum’s replica mine.

  • Fraser Valley

    • BC Gem Show, Abbotsford (annual)

      Abbotsford, BC

      http://www.bclapidary.com/gemshow.html

      This annual show at the Central Fraser Valley Fairgrounds, features dealer and club displays with rocks, minerals and gems from across BC, as well as a children's creative workshop.

      Admittance to the show on a Friday is free for students that are accompanied by a teacher and chaperoning adults.

  • Thompson-Nicola Region

    • Highland Valley Copper Mine, Logan Lake

      Spences Bridge, BC

      Teck Resources’open pit, copper-moly mine provides public tours during summer months and welcomes a limited number of school groups for tours each spring.

      Contact Teck Highland Valley Copper Mine at 250.523.2443

  • Okanagan Region

    • Klinker Opal Mine

      https://www.opalscanada.com/dig

      Opal Resources Canada operates the Klinker Opal Mine near Vernon, and offers trips to the mine and opportunities to dig for opals from mid-June to mid-September.

  • Cariboo Region

    • Exploration Place, Prince George

      Prince George, BC

      http://www.theexplorationplace.com/

      This museum features a Palaeontology Gallery with exhibits of dinosaurs and large marine reptile fossils of creatures that thrived 100 million years ago. The exhibit includes a slab of dinosaur tracks from the Tumbler Ridge BC area. Exploration Place offers many student programs, including Rock On which supports Earth Science curriculum in Grade 5, 7 and 8.

      • Barkerville Historic Town

        Barkerville, BC

        http://www.barkerville.ca/

        Barkerville Historic Town is a National Historic Site comprised of several restored and reconstructed buildings from this booming mining community during the 1860s Cariboo Gold Rush and featuring costumed actors in the roles of citizens at that time.

        A host of student programs have been developed on a variety of topics, from placer mining technology to pioneer education and frontier justice.

        • Quesnel Museum & Archives

          Quesnel, BC

          https://www.quesnelmuseum.ca/

          From rare Chinese artifacts used during the gold rush era to ephemera that will evoke childhood memories, our extensive collections are sure to appeal to all ages and interests. 

          • McAbee Fossil Beds - CURRENTLY CLOSED TO PUBLIC

            East of Cache Creek, BC

            https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/natural-resource-use/fossil-management/mcabee

            The site is the most diverse in Canada with exceptionally preserved insect and plant fossils, abundant fish fossils as well as bird, spider and crayfish fossils. The fossil site is world class for its spectacular fossil record of Eocene biodiversity and ecosystems during a phase of much warmer global climate.

            • Historic Hat Creek

              Historic Hat Creek Heritage Site

              https://www.historichatcreek.ca/

              Explore life in the Gold Rush! Historic Hat Creek in Beautiful British Columbia is one of the few sections of the original Caribou wagon road still accessible to the public. Students visit the Miner’s Camp, listen to a story, try out a tippy trundle barrow, and tour the Roadhouse and Secwepemc village. While exploring both sites they will learn the challenges faced by the miners and how they interacted with the local Secwepemc people.

              • Yale Historic Site

                Yale, BC

                https://historicyale.ca/

                At the Yale Historic Site, we will create a day suited to the ages and education levels of your students. Contact us for more information, pricing, and booking dates.

                • Visit the 1870’s ‘Creighton House’ Museum
                • Tour St. John the Divine Church built in 1863
                • Dress in period costume to explore our Living History ‘Tent City’
                • Learn how to gold pan
                • Take a guided walking tour of Historic Yale with a stop of the Ward Tea House
                • Scavenger hunts, games, and crafts are available

  • Kootenay Region

    • Kimberley's Underground Mining Railway

      Kimberley, BC

      https://kimberleysundergroundminingrailway.ca/

      Join our Mining Tour and ride the rails through the beautiful Mark Creek valley as you listen to the history of Kimberley and the Sullivan Mine. Learn about life as a miner at the Underground Interpretive Centre as our miner guide describes hard rock mining and demonstrates some of the equipment used in the Sullivan Mine. Join us for a short walk to the Sullivan Mine Powerhouse for a guided tour featuring the huge compressors and generators that powered the mine. Board the train again to learn more about Kimberley and enjoy spectacular scenery and glimpses of the occasional wild life as you travel back to the station.

      • Rossland Historical Museum, Rossland

        Rossland, BC

        http://www.rosslandmuseum.ca/

        This public museum showcase the history of the LeRoi Mine and others in area which dominated in the regional economy and gave birth to one of Canada’s long-lived major mining and smelting company, Cominco. School groups are welcome; curriculum supporting programs are available.

        Phone to book a tour: 250-362-7722

        • Cody Caves Tours

          Ainsworth Hot Springs

          https://www.codycavetours.com/activities-and-pricing

          Explore a wild but fragile underground world sculpted by glacier fed waters located in the Selkirk Mountains above Ainsworth Hot Springs and Kootenay Lake in beautiful British Columbia. You will marvel at this extensive fragile environment of pristine Soda Straws, Stalactites, Stalagmites, Calcite, Draperies and Sedimentary Rock Formations.  We then climb into the ancient abandoned fossil passage, observing impressive galleries, streamways and huge granite boulders.

          • The Burgess Shale Fossil Hikes

            Kootenay National Park

            https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/activ/burgess

            High in the mountains of Yoho and Kootenay national park, the Burgess Shale fossils are the oldest evidence of complex life on Earth. With fine details so well preserved, they show a diverse marine ecosystem that existed long before the dinosaurs. Learn more, explore online or book a hike.

            • Fernie Miner's Walk

              Fernie, BC

              https://tourismfernie.com/activities/attractions/miners-walk#:~:text=The Fernie Miners Walk exhibit,suitable for strollers and wheelchairs.

              The exhibit is paved with over 300 bricks bearing the names of miners, mining families and those who supported the building of the feature. Surrounding this, are six interactive posts with educational panels featuring the history of mining in the Elk Valley with imagery reflecting the geological roots of mining and the local ecosystem. The exhibit also features a series of fun challenges perfect for young children, plus fossil replicas and a series of special local sculptures from the Fernie Forge- look around and make sure you find them all.

              • Chamber of Mines of Eastern BC, Nelson

                Nelson, BC

                http://www.cmebc.com/

                The Chambre office houses a spectacular rock and mineral museum and reference library. A program is offered for classes that are learning about geology or mining in school, and field trips led by Chamber geologists can be arranged for small groups.

                Phone (250) 352-5242.

                • Kootenay Star Mining Museum

                  Britannia Beach, BC

                  https://www.kootenayrockies.com/partner/kaslo-mining-museum/

                  Located right downtown on Front Street, celebrates an era when hard work and unimaginable risk, was the norm for most people. At its founding, Kaslo was the gateway to the ‘mining metropolis of the world’, a time when fortunes were made and lost in a day. Hundreds of old tools from the boomtown years are on display – also mining machines, assaying paraphernalia and mineral samples, and miners gear.

                  • Silvery Slocan Museum

                    Slocan, BC

                    http://sshsnd.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

                    The Silvery Slocan Museum, located in the former Bank of Montreal building on Main Street, has been a fixture in New Denver B.C. for over 100 years. The museum features exhibits about the area’s heritage, including its mining, logging and agricultural history, as well as the recently restored Lancet motor launch

                    • Trail Museum & Archives

                      Trail, BC

                      https://trail.ca/en/play/trail-museum-archives.aspx

                      Boasting three galleries, an extensive archival holding, and well-stocked gift shop, the Trail Museum & Archives brings local history and heritage to life. Should you have a topic, activity, or idea for programming, we welcome your suggestions! 

                      • Nelson Museum & Art Gallery

                        Nelson, BC

                        https://nelsonmuseum.ca/

                        The Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery is located in beautiful, historic Nelson, British Columbia in the BC Interior. Since 1955, the Nelson Museum has served as a cultural and educational hub, an award-winning art gallery, and caretakers of the region’s rich history.

  • Northern Region

    • Tumbler Ridge GeoPark

      Tumbler Ridge, BC

      https://www.tumblerridgegeopark.ca/

      A UNESCO Global Geopark is an area recognized as having internationally significant geological heritage. Founded in the early 80’s as a mining community Tumbler Ridge has developed into a world class destination for eco-tourism. Featuring a full season’s worth of hiking trails and many other recreational options Tumbler Ridge offers a unique experience.We have a magnificent diversity of outstanding and accessible mountain geology, extraordinary waterfalls, and dinosaur fossils and trackways unmatched in the known world.

      • Tumbler Ridge Museum

        Tumbler Ridge, BC

        https://www.trmf.ca/events/school-groups

        Discovery Gallery: Explore the history of the natural world from the Triassic Period through to the Ice Age. Our fossil collection spans over 200 million years of biodiversity featuring marine life, plant life, dinosaurs, and more.

        Other programs: The Tumbler Ridge Museum offers STEAM focused drop-in programs and science-based school tours. See https://www.trmf.ca/events for more info.
         

        • Hudson's Hope Museum

          Hudson's Hope, BC

          https://www.hudsonshopemuseum.com/

          Explore the unique Hudson’s Hope Museum and learn more about our regions history, geology, and people. 

          • Fort Nelson Museum

            Fort Nelson, BC

            https://www.fortnelsonmuseum.ca/

            View displays of forestry, fire fighting, mining, oil & gas, communications, construction, and wildfire artifacts.

  • North and Central Coast

    • Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Park & Visitor Centre

      Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park, BC

      https://bcparks.ca/protected-areas/nisgaa-memorial-lava-bed/#InterpretivePrograms

      The dramatic landscape blended with the rich native culture makes this protected area a special experience. The park offers visitors a chance to explore many unique and interesting features of a volcanic landscape and to learn about the culture and legends of the Nisga’a people. For more information call the on-site operator, Steve, at 250 641-4400, or visit the website at www.nass113.com.

      • Kitimat Museum

        Kitimat, BC

        https://www.kitimatmuseum.ca/schools/

        The Kitimat Centennial Museum (original name) opened in October 1969 and has served Kitimat citizens for the past fifty years as the place for community and natural history, and an exhibition centre for visual arts with a "Fossils & Geology" museum explorer program. Bring your class! Contact us to book a tour of the exhibitions at aeastman@kitimatmuseum.ca or 250-632-8950.

        • Haida Gwaii Museum

          Skidegate, BC

          https://haidagwaiimuseum.ca/

          Saahlinda Naay - the Haida Gwaii Museum offers a fascinating look into Haida Gwaii culture from diverse perspectives where Haida knowledge, western science art and politics all blend together in a fluid and constantly changing context. We work collaboratively with communities and organizations to provide an inspiring and holistic learning experience of all things Haida Gwaii. Email adminassistant@haidagwaiimuseum.ca for bookings.